In our "Final Days of Dark Reign" feature, we spotlight different characters each day in November. Our profiles examine how Dark Reign has impacted the character in question. Each synopsis will be accompanied by creator commentary and, in most cases, exclusive art.

First Appearance: Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos #1 (1963) Basic Powers: By taking regular doses of the Infinity Formula for many years, Fury has permanently halted his body's aging process. Being nearly 100 years old now, Fury has decades of combat experience and a wide range of top-secret S.H.I.E.L.D. technology to draw upon.

Did You Know: Fury has been the source of numerous parodies over the years, including Jim Rage, Agent of S.H.A.V.E. (The Tick) and Col. Hunter Gathers (The Venture Bros.). Warren Ellis originally intended to use Fury in Nextwave, but was required to create his own parody – Dirk Anger, Agent of H.A.T.E. – to fill the role instead.

Dark Reign So Far: Few heroes saw Dark Reign coming, but Nick Fury was already prepared for Osborn's rise. He knew the victory over the Skrulls would be short-lived. Having been operating underground since his failed Secret War, Fury is plenty used to being a fugitive from the government he used to serve.

Fortunately, he still has plenty of resources on which to draw. Fury has assembled at least one squad of Secret Warriors, with the assumption that there are likely many more cells operating across the world. He has also gathered some 1200 ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and reformed the Howling Commandos.

Fury and his troops are nearly ready to go on the offensive against a newly resurgent HYDRA. Fury has discovered that S.H.I.E.L.D. was a HYDRA front all along, and he wants payback for what may well have been a wasted career. But having uncovered new information about a secret cartel known as Leviathan, Fury is well aware that the rabbit hole goes deeper than even he can fathom.

Hickman: "[Dark Reign has] complicated Nick Fury's plans. It's made the things he wanted to accomplish more difficult. But when it's game time he steps up. He seems to have navigated through most of that stuff, and now he's onto finish the rest of his big mission."

On life after Dark Reign:

Hickman: "The entirety of Norman's power structure, the establishment of HAMMER, his position within the government and the world at large – all of that affects Nick's plans and what he's trying to accomplish. What I will say is that Nick has longer-range goals than that. While the Secret Warriors may have been born out of Dark Reign, the driving force behind it has always been this overarching plan of Nick Fury's that he's been moving pieces around for and trying to accomplish. After Dark Reign, what we'll see is a more clear illustration of what those plans are."

The Secret Warriors

Current Members: Nick Fury, Quake, Phobos, The Druid, Slingshot, Stonewall, Hellfire, Eden Fesei First Appearance: Mighty Avengers #13 (2008) Team Mission: Fury has assembled a squad of young heroes who are unknown to the world at large. They rely on their secretive status and Fury's intelligence network to strike major blows at both H.A.M.M.E.R. and HYDRA.

Did You Know: Stonewall is the only member of the team whose superhuman parentage has yet to be revealed. He admitted that that his father was named Henry, making the list of likely Marvel dads include Hank Pym, Beast, Bulldozer, and even Henry Peter Gyrich.

Dark Reign So Far: The Secret Warriors are young heroes culled from Nick Fury's Caterpillar Files. To the world at large, they are a collective unknown factor. And as Fury trained them to counter the Skrull invasion, this secrecy became their greatest asset.

Secret Invasion may have been the team's first real test, but the real war is only just beginning. After discovering the connection between S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA, Fury has dispatched the Warriors on several missions against HYDRA and its new leaders.

Their victories have come at a steep price, but slowly the Warriors are beginning to come together as a team. The real question now is just how far they can trust Fury. Each member is aware that Fury is keeping many secrets, and it's becoming increasingly apparent that they're just one cog in his vast machine of war.

The Future of The Secret Warriors With Brian Michael Bendis & Jonathan Hickman

Bendis: "Nick Fury and his Secret Warriors will be front and center for Siege. This is what they've been training for."

On the next Secret Warriors arc, "Wake the Beast"

Hickman: "[It's about Leviathan] and it's also about HYDRA and the formation of modern HYDRA with flashback stories as well. The whole arc takes place one month after issue #10 of Secret Warriors. If you remember at the end of Secret Warriors #6, Nick gave Dum Dum some things to do and a month to get them done. We'll also see the results of all that hard work."

On the Secret Warriors' track record:

Hickman: "They're getting better with it. They're kids, so they're learning on the job. 'Wake the Beast' is really the starting point for them performing the roles that Nick groomed them and trained them to do. You're going to see a lot of the kids going forward and in a much bigger way. We're also addressing all the dangling bits from their first appearance. We're going to see Stonewall's dad and how what Yo-Yo has been through has affected her. They're getting better at what they're supposed to be doing. As a function of what their roles are, yes, they're becoming a better team. As to whether they're becoming better comrades, that remains to be seen."